Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,583 in Zug versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $8,037 in Zug versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.5K in Zug versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Zug is roughly 233% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zug 305% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.57 CHF 28.78

$12.14 MX$205

193.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 CHF 141

$53.9 MX$911

223.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$25.16 CHF 20.36

$11.09 MX$187

126.87%

Cappuccino

$7.27 CHF 5.88

$4.10 MX$69.3

77.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 CHF 5.08

$1.68 MX$28.44

273.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 CHF 5.11

$1.39 MX$23.47

354.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.76 CHF 7.90

$3.33 MX$56.3

193.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.17

$5.88 MX$99.4

29.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.85 MX$31.30

18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 CHF 3.26

$3.17 MX$53.6

27.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 CHF 3.42

$2.07 MX$35.01

104.35%

Eggs

$7.94 CHF 6.43

$2.93 MX$49.51

170.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.78 CHF 22.48

$12.59 MX$213

120.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.47 CHF 25.46

$10.11 MX$171

211.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.93 CHF 34.74

$16.09 MX$272

166.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 2.98

$3.39 MX$57.3

8.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$2.08 MX$35.14

-0.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.32

$2.12 MX$35.85

35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 CHF 4.58

$2.41 MX$40.82

134.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.62

$2.13 MX$36.00

-5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$2.01 MX$33.90

11.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$1.55 MX$26.13

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.10

$1.36 MX$23.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.85

$5.77 MX$97.5

89.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 CHF 15.18

$17.74 MX$300

5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 CHF 2.37

$2.07 MX$35.00

41.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 CHF 3.20

$4.61 MX$78.0

-14.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.58 CHF 4.52

$0.37 MX$6.19

1408.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$165 CHF 134

$21.18 MX$358

680.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.33 CHF 7.55

$2.05 MX$34.73

355.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$6.29 CHF 5.09

$0.58 MX$9.75

984.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$1.55 MX$26.25

50.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$42.8K CHF 34.7K

$22.9K MX$386.8K

87.31%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.9K CHF 32.3K

$27.2K MX$460.5K

46.41%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$231 CHF 187

$67.4 MX$1,140

242.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$41.07 CHF 33.23

$30.62 MX$518

34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 CHF 52.3

$37.24 MX$630

73.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 CHF 99.2

$61.5 MX$1,039

99.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.97 CHF 26.67

$27.12 MX$459

21.57%

Cinema Ticket

$24.20 CHF 19.58

$7.11 MX$120

240.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$4,324 CHF 3,499

$456 MX$7,714

847.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 29.5K

$13.7K MX$231.5K

166.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$166 CHF 134

$74.2 MX$1,255

123.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 CHF 57.4

$57.0 MX$964

24.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$195 CHF 158

$115 MX$1,951

69.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$280 CHF 226

$122 MX$2,055

130.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,893 CHF 3,150

$1,148 MX$19.4K

239.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,200 CHF 2,590

$709 MX$12.0K

351.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,158 CHF 5,792

$2,577 MX$43.6K

177.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,165 CHF 4,179

$1,295 MX$21.9K

298.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$31.8K CHF 25.8K

$4,005 MX$67.7K

694.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$21.5K CHF 17.4K

$2,130 MX$36.0K

909.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,354 CHF 5,950

$1,082 MX$18.3K

579.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

11.3

-83.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Zug: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,893 in Zug and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zug pays 580% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $174 in Zug vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zug vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zug and Mexico City differ by about 233% in total monthly costs ($5,583 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 580% higher in Zug, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,893 in Zug versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 680% less than in Zug. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $4,324 in Zug versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $5,583 in Zug, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Zug. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zug and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Zug. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.